Foresight Fellowship

The Foresight Fellowship is a flagship program of the Foresight Institute, a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986. The fellowship launched in 2017 with an inaugural cohort of ten fellows working on molecular machines, space technology, longevity, mind uploading, and machine ethics. It has grown substantially since then, supporting approximately sixty fellows per annual cohort by 2023 and becoming highly selective, with roughly a 6% acceptance rate in recent cycles. The fellowship is a year-long, largely remote program with no minimum work requirement. Fellows receive introductions to senior scientists, relevant funders, and mentors; paid travel to one technical workshop and one Vision Weekend conference each year; membership in a thematic seminar group with the option to present their work; quarterly career counseling; and priority access to the Foresight Institute's AI Nodes in San Francisco and Berlin. Upon completion, fellows join an alumni community. The program prioritizes individuals working in the Foresight Institute's core focus areas: Secure AI (including AI alignment automation, computer security approaches to AI safety, and secure multi-agent systems), Longevity Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Neurotechnology (including brain-computer interfaces and whole brain emulation), Space exploration, and Existential Hope (strategic foresight and civilizational resilience). Candidates are evaluated on technical track record, intellectual curiosity, ambitious vision, and domain expertise. The Foresight Institute, which administers the fellowship, reported revenues of approximately $9.4 million in fiscal year 2024, up from $3.6 million in 2023, reflecting rapid organizational growth. The Institute employs approximately 57 staff and is led by CEO Allison Duettmann and COO Beatrice Erkers. The Institute is fundraising for a Fellowship Endowment with a $10 million target to provide project stipends to fellows, of which approximately $410,500 had been raised as of early 2026. The fellowship itself has no public stipend component at present; its value lies in network access, mentorship, and career support.

Endorsements support Foresight Institute.

Discussion

Start Date

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End Date

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Expected Duration

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Funding Raised to Date

$410,500